Bulgaria 5-Day Tour Itinerary

More about Sofia 

Visitors to Sofia will have plenty to tour, in the city and in its surroundings, and plenty to get acquainted with, from modern sites to ancient historic ones. The National Art Gallery, the most important museums, the mineral springs, and the surrounding mountain hills form a patchwork of attractive features worth touring. The city was named after Saint Sophia, thus Day of Sofia is celebrated on September 17, the day celebrating Saint Sophia and her three martyr daughters. The area, like the whole territory of Bulgaria, is dotted by archeological remains from ancient Roman times.

The rich history and the growing attractiveness for people who find abundant education and work opportunities are reflected in its logo: ”It grows but never ages.” The climate of the area is moderate continental and ensures comfort throughout the year. Aficionados eager to attend cultural events will enjoy Sofia’s vast events palette to choose from.

More about Veliko Tarnovo

Veliko Turnovo is a symbol of Bulgarian history. It is replete with historical buildings of old periods, and also has a number of churches and chapels. The officially functioning chapels and churches on its territory are ten, and there is also a monastery. There are several churches which do not function, as they have been declared cultural monuments. Among them should be mentioned the Saints Holy Martyrs church, the Saint Dimitar of Thessaloniki church, the Saints Peter and Paul church, and the Saint George church. There were a lot of relics of different saints brought to the town in different periods, and there used to be an icon of Saint Dimitar of Thessaloniki, not made by human hands, of the so called acheiropoieton type. The icon was brought to the town by the tsars Asen and Petar. There was also a piece of the Holy Cross which remained for a century.

More about Rila Monastery

Rila Monastery proudly ranks in the top sights of Bulgaria which should be visited to form an idea of the wealth of Bulgarian history and worthy culture. It was declared a national historical reserve in 1976, and has been under the aegis of UNESCO since 1983. The monastery keeps precious manuscripts, old printed books and ancient documents. The museum is precious for a collection of ancient objects, icons, weapons, coins, etc. 

In the fourteenth century the monastery was renovated by Hrelyo, a local ruler; the medieval tower with a chapel was named after him. The chapel is precious with the fourteenth century murals on its walls. 

The central temple of the monastery complex is the “Nativity of the Holy Virgin” church. It stands in the place of a medieval church, built by Hrelyo, which existed in that place by 1834. The church murals were painted by renowned icon painters of those times.

More about Plovdiv

For aficionados of history and the fascinating period of the Roman empire, Plovdiv has a host of information and monuments to offer. The Archeological Museum boasts a building almost two centuries old. It houses precious finds of different periods of Plovdiv’s past. 

It is a vivid experience to visit the Ethnographic Museum, with over 40,000 exhibits which tell a lot of the people’s livelihood, crafts practiced, fabrics woven, furniture made, and many more objects which are complemented by photos. 

Those interested in natural sciences can marvel at the exhibits in the Natural Science Museum. In the basement is the largest fresh water aquarium in Bulgaria, showing off over 40 species of decorative fishes and also some amphibians. 

The Museum of Aviation is in the vicinity of the city, 12 kilometers away. The exhibits there total about 6,800, and the aircrafts exhibited are 59. There are two internal and one external exhibitions.